Unthinkable
by sorree
Summary: What if the unthinkable happened? What if Felicity was shot … with a green arrow?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I admit I shamelessly borrowed the title form the episode that is still to come. Plot bunny decided it wanted this on paper, so I obeyed… Feed-back welcome as always.

Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow or any of the characters here, only paper and pen. So please don't sue me...

_« There's still one person who has to die before all this can end… »_

_Slade ep 2X20_

**Starling City, undefined location,**

"NOOO!" The bow clattered to the ground forgotten as its owner launched himself towards the figure lying on the ground. He fell to his knees next to her frantically trying to stop the profuse bleeding. Cradling her head in his lap, he kept pressure on the wound as best as he could. For the very first time in his life he cursed his marksmanship.

"Why did you do this? Why?"

His voice had lost its deep menacing tone; it was strangled and filled with pain until finally sobs found their way past his lips. His hand traced from her curly blond hair to her cheek in a feather-light touch as if afraid to hurt her again. At the sensation her eyes fluttered open revealing a world of pain but also something far more disturbing … worry.

"Not … your fault … Oliver! Don't … you dare … feel guilty … about this…"

The effort had taken away the remnant of her strength. Her body went limp in his arms and an anguished cry left his lips as the feeling of powerlessness overtook his senses.

"No, please! Stay with me… I need you…" Despair ripped through his body. Tears pooled on his lashes and welled over. This was what he'd feared all along. That one day he would bring death to her instead of protecting her from the dangers clinging to him. He had vowed to protect her with everything he had and now he had been the one to bring death upon her.

"Now you know what it feels like when your world gets torn apart, kid."

A deep raspy voice rose from the dark and a figure stepped out of it. Squatting down in front of the Arrow he tried to catch his gaze to figuratively push the arrow deeper in the wound. The look that met his normally would have made cringe every villain in Starling City. But instead of the hate and rage he'd expected to see there all he could make out was regret and despair. Perhaps he would have to make a slight change of plans? He realized this had worked out far better than he had intended it to. The moment wasn't there yet to end this once and for all as he had thought. He would rag this out a little longer. After all he'd been suffering for years now.

"I won't release you from your pain. Not now. You deserve your punishment for what you did to Shado … your betrayal demands blood. Hers."

A finger pointed at Felicity still cradled in his arms. Instinctively his muscles clenched drawing her closer to his chest, to his heart.

"You deserve some time to fully savour the feelings you're discovering just now… And then, perhaps, one day… I'll feel some mercy and free you." A snort left his lips as he rose and left the two figures on the ground.

Somewhere in the distance sirens wailed, the sound coming constantly nearer. Oliver didn't know how long he'd been sitting there. Time seemed to have sopped inhis universe. Nothing made sense any more. Why bother? What happened to him now wasn't important. The one person that had been keeping him away from darkness was gone, because of him. Slade was right he was no hero.

At first he didn't even notice the hand on his shoulder. Someone was talking to him, but his brain couldn't process the words. He looked up, almost expecting to see Slade's sneer, but instead his gaze connected with Quentin Lance's. He could see worry there.

"You have to go! Now! The police will be here any minute."

The irony of the situation wasn't lost on him, but the man in front of him didn't react. Had he even heard him? Quentin Lance wondered what had happened here. He couldn't fathom why the Arrow had shot Felicity. Heck by the looks of it the Arrow himself didn't comprehend what had happened. Of one thing he was sure. He'd to make him leave the scene. Like immediately, before his colleagues swarmed in. There would be time for confrontations later and he would have to explain how this could have happened…

"Go! Now! I'll take care of her!"

As he moved to take Felicity from Oliver's grip he crossed his line of sight. He recognized the look in the other man's eyes. It was the one that had stared back at him from the mirrors for years.

Suddenly the gaze became clearer, Lance wordlessly observed as the Arrow pressed his lips to Felicity's forehead and with a nod in his direction he gently lowered her to the ground. He moved to where his bow lay discarded. Taking it up he examined it closely as if seeing it for the first time and trying to decide what to do with it. Flashes of red and blue interrupted his musings and he rapidly disappeared into the shadows.

Lance had followed his every movement not sure if he could fully trust the man to do what was necessary. _Speaking of which…_

He turned his attention to the supine form in front of him examining her closer for the first time since he'd arrived. _The green arrow would have to disappear…_ a bitter smirk crossed his grim expression briefly. His fingers clasped it tightly and jostled the wound when he more felt than heard a low moan. His eyebrows shot up and rapidly he checked for a pulse. _There_ … very faint and low it throbbed under his fingers. A curse escaped his lips. _There was no time to lose_…

Requesting immediate support and medical assistance he started first aid. Then with the arrival of the EMT's everything became a blur. Later he wouldn't remember the ride to the hospital or the time spent waiting staring at the blood on his fingers. His mind was elsewhere replaying the events he'd witnessed. _Well, partially…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Lair,**

Diggle jogged down the stairs whistling. He was definitely in a good mood. Last night had been … wow! A smug smile planted itself on his lips only to disappear instantly as he reached the base of the steps. His weapon flew into his hands and he was in shooting stance in an instant scanning the room for a potential target. The place was empty, completely overturned but void of any human presence. Glass littered the floor mingled with arrowheads and wires, the computer screens flickered desperately still clinging to the searches Felicity had launched hours before. The showcase where Oliver's compound bow usually resided lay in pieces, some shards stained red. The one where the Arrow suit usually was displayed didn't fare any better. Diggle was at a loss for words… _What the hell…?_

Yesterday evening everything had been all right. There wasn't any mission planned. That's why he had taken the night off. He clearly remembered leaving Felicity humming happily while running updates and searches. Oliver had joined his family for dinner and had only planned to come in for some training later on.

Taking in the desolation around him, he walked aimlessly through the remnants of their haven. A constant buzzing interrupted his musings. His phone!

"Oliver? What…? Detective Lance?" Had someone been present, the person would have seen him pale and stagger as the officer explained him why he called and what had happened. Absentmindedly he ended the call. Lance had been worried about the Arrow's state of mind and the actions he might take, but Diggle didn't have any clues so he had promised to join Lance at the hospital as soon as possible. With one last look at the remains of the Lair, he left as fast as he'd come. Surely there was an explanation to this madness…

**Hospital,**

When Diggle burst through the ER doors Lance was waiting for him pacing in front of the waiting room. His head had shot up when he had heard the commotion outside. The look on the other man's face wasn't exactly a friendly one reminding Lance not to get on the wrong side of the bodyguard. He was sure the Arrow would have to forward some real good reason for the state Felicity was in.

"Does Oliver Queen know? I haven't been able to reach him. He isn't answering his phone…"

Diggle shook his head.

"I haven't been able to contact Mr Queen yet… He had given me last night off, so I haven't been accompanying him. So, are there any news on Felicity Smoak yet?"

Lance shot a worried glance around the man towering in front of him before continuing.

"I think we may have a bigger problems at hand right now… I told you Miss Smoak was shot, but I didn't tell you by what…" As his voice trailed off he fumbled with the inner pocket of his uniform jacket retrieving an object from it. Diggle's eyes widened as the man handed him the end of an arrow with the fletchings and the nock. The distinctive green of the feathers screamed at him that this was impossible. There was no way Oliver would willingly shoot their IT girl… He would have sworn that the man would have preferred to arrow himself before hurting anyone close to him; especially "his girl".

Lance could see the storm raging in Diggle's eyes. So he felt the need to clarify things.

"I'm sure there has to be an explanation to this mess. When I found them he was so out of it he didn't even realize I was there till I touched his shoulder and talked to him…"

Diggle nodded at the words his mind racing at a zillion miles a minute. Oliver what happened out there? Why did problems always find them? Why Felicity? Well that one was obvious … except maybe to one green leather clad archer. There was no easier way to get to him than by hurting the one he constantly relied on, cared for … loved?

Somebody clearing his throat nearby interrupted his musings. Turning he saw a man wearing scrubs standing there.

"Family of Felicity Smoak?" He queried.

"We are her emergency contacts, yes? Diggle answered feeling tension build in his gut as he tried to gauge the doctors expression.

"It seems she was lucky, if one can say so of a person that has been shot. Fortunately the projectile was kept in place or she rapidly would have bled out and we wouldn't be having this conversation. She suffered a very important blood loss. That might cause some complications. So we will be monitoring her very closely for the next days. She'll be settled in a room soon. You can see her then. Any questions?"

Lance nodded. "Will she make a full recovery?"

"Yes, probably. There shouldn't be any long time consequences give the necessary time and some appropriate therapy …"

"Thank you." Diggle turned towards Lance as the doctor walked away.

"Well that will make things somewhat easier …" The detective muttered.

A snort interrupted him, his astonished expression making Diggle shake his head in disbelief.

"Oh man! You don't know the Arrow then … He'll feel responsible for every single drop of blood she lost. And that will push him to do some really crazy things."

"He really cares for her then?"

"More than he was aware of … before this happened."

"Really crazy things, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"Then he'll need some help…"

"Definitely."

"Can you track him down?"

"Thanks to our miss Smoak I might..."


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for the very kind reviews, the follows and the favourites, they're deeply appreciated. I hope this will live up to your expectations. There's one more chapter to go after this one. Still don't own anything but my pen and paper, so please be kind with me...

"_When you find that one person who connects you to the world, you become someone different, someone better. But when that person is taken from you, what do you become then?"_

_John Reese, Person of Interest 1X21_

If asked later he wouldn't remember how he got back to the foundry. Everything was a blur since his world stopped when he saw her collapse taken down by his arrow. He'd always known he represented a danger to her, but he had to confess that he hadn't been aware to what extent. _Someone else had._

An angry roar left his throat and a swipe of his arms sent the newly sharpened arrowheads flying from his workbench. The cuts and grazes in his palm and forearm didn't even register, his mind too occupied by the storm raging inside him. The workbench soon joined the rest of the material on the ground…

He thought he protected her by keeping her at arms length. He firmly believed what he had told Roy: they were a danger to every person gravitating around them. So it had been safer to pretend he only saw her as a friend, a partner in crime. He'd kept his feelings bottled inside, safely locked away from potential threats, _but someone had found out…_

His bow showcase and then the one usually containing his leather garments shattered under the blows from his fists, sparkling glass diamonds tinted with red raining down around him. Carelessly, he turned his back to it facing Felicity's chair, sitting down in it he swivelled toward the computer desk. Her searches were still up and running. She was ever so effective, always ahead thinking of new ways … other ways to achieve her goal. Trusting him to become a better person, someone she looked up to. And look how he'd rewarded her loyalty...

One of the screens emitted a pinging noise, showing the result of her latest investigation into Slade Wilson's accounts and firms. He hadn't been aware that she'd been scanning them again. His hands clasped the edge of the desk his knuckles gleaming white under the pressure. _She wouldn't come back, wouldn't see…_ As tension built up in his body he rose; hands still clinging to the cool metal surface of the desk. _Slade, always Slade._ At every turn and every corner of his world he mocked him, but this…

An ocean of rage and regret consumed him, making him hurl the desk up and away from him sending computer screens, keyboards flying. _Her babies …_

Oliver stared at the now destroyed equipment lying around him as realization hit. He'd just trashed the things most precious to Felicity. He felt ashamed, unworthy of her trust, as tears contained too long flowed free…

"No…"

Staggering backwards he stumbled and fell tripping over the mess he'd made. His hands braced the fall, his right hand clasping instinctively around a familiar object. It had been her gift to him upon his return after The Undertaking. Custom made, exactly how he would have chosen it himself. Suddenly he felt like he couldn't breathe any more, his rising emotions suffocating him. He needed to get out of here, of this grave. The walls seemed to be closing in on him. Unsteadily he came to his feet and rushed up the stairs out into the cold night.

**Starling General,**

Felicity had come out of surgery without major complications. Now she was settled in a room in ICU after getting through recovery. The two men standing at the foot of the bed had needed to see for themselves that she was indeed fine. Lance especially was reassured to see her face wasn't deadly pale any more. He shuddered remembering her lying on the ground all covered in blood and grime. He'd thought she was gone then. Hell, even the Arrow had been fooled. At least, judging by the way he had been out of it.

Diggle hadn't been there to witness that awful scene, but having seen his share of badly wounded people his mind easily created images to implement it all. He hadn't been there to help his friends… _Great,_ he thought, _now Oliver starts rubbing off on me with his constant guilt trips._ Looking to "detective" Lance as Felicity stubbornly continued to call him whenever the met or talked about him; he asked:

" So, are you still up to this?"

"Sure. Where do we start?"

"Felicity's. She keeps her backup tablet there."

"What does one have a backup tablet for?" A very puzzled Lance questioned.

"Don't ask!" Diggle sighed.

Once in the car, he floored it and they'd almost made it to Felicity's house, when a police patrol waved them over. Surely they'd broken every speed limit in the whole city.

"Great!" Diggle muttered under his breath.

"Let me handle this." Lance quipped. As the officer stepped up to the car, he flashed his badge at the man. "As you may have noticed, we're quite in a haste. Special mission for the commissioner…"

"Oh! Detective Lance, I hadn't recognized you. You may go. It's ok."

"Thank you, officer."

Shaking his head with a smirk Diggle carefully drove the rest of the way to Felicity's address.

"She lives here? Not really a safe neighbourhood. I would have thought Queen would've set her up elsewhere …" Lance commented as they walked up the front stairs.

"We're talking about Felicity Smoak here… Remember?" Diggle replied dryly. "It's not like he didn't try. More than once in fact … Still does from time to time…"

Lance shook his head in disbelief. He wouldn't have thought that Felicity Smoak was effectively holding the infamous billionaire in check.

Diggle was reaching for his spare key when he noticed the front door was slightly ajar. Nodding toward the badly scratched lock to get Lance's attention, he drew his weapon and Lance did the same. Both swept the small home for intruders, but it was empty. Diggle shuddered at seeing the state everything was in. Felicity would be seriously pissed.

"They surely didn't leave anything in one piece… I'm going to call it in…"

"At least we know now Felicity was probably taken from here."

"And she didn't go without putting up a fight." Lance emitted an appreciative low whistle.

Diggle sighed. Tonight was definitely not getting any easier. He had found her beloved tablet and it was irremediably broken.

"Guess we'll have to go to Felicity's office at Queen Consolidated after all; if we want to locate the Arrow … "

"Let's go then. We have no time to lose… We can always come back to this mess later."

It didn't take them long to get to QC. At this time of the day the offices were mostly deserted. Quickly Diggle got to the laptop hidden in Felicity's desk. Starting it up took him some time, but finally he managed to access the app she used to track their phones.

Lance had been looking around the office not wanting to see the codes the bodyguard had to use. Now he peered over Diggle's shoulder, curious about the way Felicity was able to bend computers and the internet to her will while he was barely able to navigate his way through the word processing program.

"Damn it! The signal is somehow jammed. It picks up at irregular intervals only."

"Meaning?"

"We don't have a clear location … We'll have to try our luck and see what it brings." Diggle closed the lid of the laptop and took it with him as he left the office Lance in his wake.

"I'll drive while you try to get me directions…" Dig instructed the other man. "Let's hope the Arrow hasn't gotten himself into trouble before we can reach him…"


	4. Chapter 4

**So this is it. The final chapter, it got delayed because of an emergency. But as I try to keep my promises, here it is. Again thank you to all the reviewers, followers and favorites. You always make my day. I'm still not making profit from this. Enjoy!**

**Starling Harbour area,**

He'd been roaming the city aimlessly for hours. From fire escape to rooftop he'd needed the sensation of height. Somehow it reminded him of the rocky peaks he'd climbed numerous times on Lian Yu. The thought made a bitter laugh escape his chest. He really had never left the Island. It pursued him even to his home, to the people he cared for…

Maybe Laurel had been right after all: he was a killer, directly or indirectly. Whatever he did it brought death upon those he cared for. Since the day he had smashed the skull of that mercenary on Purgatory his road had been paved with good intentions but it led straight into darkness. All consuming and hopeless it surrounded him, extinguishing every sparkle of light he found. So all that was left was to come full circle, to face the truth … and Slade … alone. _Because in the end we're all alone…_ The words still echoed through his mind. Then this would end. The pain would stop.

He felt tired as he rose from his vantage point, wincing at the pain irradiating from his knee. Dawn was mere hours away; he would have to hurry to find Slade. _No, not Slade, his mentor, friend, brother in arms had died on that hellish island… Deathstroke_, he corrected himself. He couldn't call him Slade any longer. He intended to end this before he'd have to take cover for the day. Another bitter chuckle left his lips. Like a vampire. Oddly the thought had never occurred to him before, but there were very disturbing parallels. He haunted the city at night, drew blood from his victims, was a danger to everyone and far better off alone.

_You're not alone…_ The words seemed to flow in the wind, caressing his cheek.

"Felicity?" Hope briefly ignited its sparks in his chest before he remembered he had failed her. He would pay for his crime with his life, but he would take Deathstroke down with him. It would be his last gift to his city…

Where could he be hiding? Where would he hide if it were him? From the rooftop he was standing on, his gaze swept over the skyline of his home searching for a potential hideout. A foghorn drew his attention down to the Harbour. There were lots of abandoned buildings and spaces there. Nature was slowly reconquering it all giving it a wild touch. Somehow he knew he would find him down there. It was were this had started after all so it was somewhat right that the conclusion would be drawn there too…

There was no time to lose. Checking his bow, quiver and arrows one last time he jumped down onto the fire escape, swinging around the locked gate at the top of it.

It didn't take him long to reach his goal. He'd been drawn halfway there by his subconscious already. In front of the large fence gate protecting the area he counted his flèchettes and made sure the knife hidden in his boot was securely strapped. As they hadn't been able to get a cure for the Mirakuru in time he would have to kill his former ally with it. This meant getting close to him, very close thus was augmenting the risk of being seriously injured or worse before reaching his goal. Well, there would be time to worry about that when it came to it. First he had to locate him and get near enough to fulfil his mission.

With a resigned sigh, he jumped up the fence and swung over it landing smoothly on the other side. He remained in a crouched stance listening intently. Only silence met his trained ears. Far in the distance he could distinguish the metallic clanking coming from the docks. Here everything was abandoned, dead. The area was enormous. Where would he start?

_Look for high ground._ Slade's voice resounded in his mind. _Always look for the best vantage spot…_ He had to know. After all he had been a sniper with the Special Forces once.

He decided he would get toward the east side of the large compound. It was facing the bay giving the person standing there the feeling to stand at the end of the world. Moving stealthily through the shadows he constantly checked for hidden threats and traps. Deathstroke surely would have protected his back. There would certainly be a safe perimeter set up to guide him to the spot he wanted him at.

He saw the masked guard just in time to melt into the shadow of the building. A hand flew to the man's neck as the flèchette hit him in the neck dropping him dead. No sound had been heard except for the fatal whistle of the projectile. Grabbing the bow from his back, he nocked an arrow. He would definitely have to proceed more carefully and take out Deathstroke's men from a safer distance. There was no use to him getting injured or killed before reaching his target. He had to succeed for the city and for Felicity, for all the times she'd trusted him blindly to make the right choice.

The deeper he crept into the alleys the calmer he got. It wouldn't be long now. Just as he wanted to turn a corner he heard voices. Peeking past some barrels he could see two more guards. They were smoking and judging by the gestures making jokes. Their boss apparently was nowhere near them or he would've made them regret their lack of discipline.

Two arrows later, the problem was solved. He was kneeling next to the fallen men to retrieve his arrows. He cursed himself for not having taken more of them before leaving the foundry, but he hadn't taken time to think his actions over properly. As he was about to put them back in to his quiver a radio cackled to life. The body covering it muffled the sound. Rolling the man onto his back, he saw it attached to the belt.

"Hey kid! Nice of you to join me! How goes the saying? The more the merrier. Hadn't thought you would show up so soon … but then you never were that persistent, were you?"

" Get out of hiding and you'll see how persistent I can be …" Oliver growled barely contained anger scraping in his throat.

Deathstroke's answer hit him almost instantly. "All growl and no teeth, kid. Let the hunt begin…"

At the word hunt Oliver dropped the radio and dove back into the shadows for cover. He knew from experience how deadly accurate Slade had been. Deathstroke would be ten times more effective with the Mirakuru running in his veins. He needed to get the drop on him if he wanted to ever get a chance at fulfilling the vow he had made to himself.

A spot high on a rooftop would give him the necessary advantage. Deathstroke surely knew the compound by heart now. Oliver realized he missed something. Normally her voice would guide him through, show him the safest way to his goal. Today he would be alone and it was better that way.

He spotted a rusty stairwell to the left across the alley. They seemed to lead upon a higher platform. Briefly surveying his surroundings and detecting no suspect movement or glint, he threw himself across the open space and crouched low in the shadow at the bottom of the stairs. Nothing. No one had seen him then. Taking a deep breath he hurried up the steps taking care to step only on the spots that wouldn't creak. At the top of the flight he overlooked the whole area. Nobody was there.

Where was he? Behind him a deep voice rose.

"Still making the same errors I see! Your movements are as foreseeable as those of a newborn baby. It was evident that I would find you here. Tstsktsk…

As Oliver turned slowly towards him his head bent low to hide his gaze in the shadow of his hood Slade continued teasing him.

"Oh! But the kid has come all alone! Where are your followers now, _hero_?" He spat out the last word so that it sounded like an insult. "Do you remember what I told you on the Island? In the end we're all alone …" A pensive look crossed his marred face briefly before he let the blade of his katana slide through his gloved hand until the hilt rested firmly in his palm.

Oliver still stood with his head low, observing the glinting metal as it caught the pale light of pre dawn. He caught the widening of the other man's pupils just before his attack. His bow flew up at the ready and he sent his first arrows towards his opponent. Both found their mark, but did nothing to stop or even slow him down. He simply pulled them out of the wounds and then let them fall to the ground. With a roar Slade launched himself at Oliver and he had just the time to use his bow as a shield to block the blow. The force it was dealt with made his knee give out. He deflected the blade and rolled to his right to get out of reach. Leaping up he rapidly fired an arrow at Slade who effectively parried it with his sword.

Again the former ASIS soldier was upon him in two strides. He swung his blade wide hitting Oliver's bow and sending it flying. The sharp metal bit through his leather clad forearm and deeply nicked the skin of his left forearm.

Making a fall back step he escaped momentarily the range of his enemy's weapon. As the man took another dive at him he took his chances and went for a roundhouse kick, but Slade had seen it coming, so at the right moment he dealt a blow to Oliver's knee with the hilt.

Tears of pain blurred his vision as he tried to block out the pain irradiating through his leg. He still had managed to unbalance Slade who stumbled sideward.

Dropping on his good knee Oliver drew one of his fléchettes and stabbed it in Slade's leg just seconds before the man kicked him in the head, sending him flying across the roof. As he slid over the pebble covered surface the material scraped against his cheek. His vision swam from the blow.

"You always forget who taught you to fight… You can't win against me." Deathstroke roared in his ears. Eerily the voice seemed somewhat far away as he shook his head confused. He tried to get his legs back under him as his survival instincts kicked in.

A vicelike grip closed itself around his throat lifting him up from the ground and cutting off his air supply rather effectively. Dark spots started dancing in his vision as he struggled to get free.

A car came to a stop a few blocks from there.

"Dammit! I lost it again!" Lance cursed under his breath while Diggle tried to catch a glimpse at the surrounding rooftops. They had to be near somewhere up there, Diggle felt it.

"There it is again! Take the next turn left and go down for two blocks. We should be near them then."

Feeling time was of essence Diggle floored the pedal and the car jumped forward. Soon they found themselves in front of a fenced gate blocking their way.

"Fasten your seatbelt and grab onto something!" Diggle growled as he put his foot down. The car sped forward and propelled itself through the gate without taking too much damage. The passengers were seriously shaken though.

With one hand Oliver tried to reach his fléchettes as the other still clawed at Slade's arm to make him lighten the pressure on his throat. His fingertips grazed the tip of one before he could catch it. He wouldn't last much longer; he felt his mind go blank. With one last effort he caught the projectile and stabbed it at Slade's neck.

A surprised look crossed the man's face as he instinctively released his prey. The Arrow sank to his knees. It took him a second to get air down his abused throat, before he felt for his hidden knife. Before Slade could react properly he launched himself at the man and his blade bit deeply into his enemy's chest. He staggered back and the blade was drawn out of the wound completely. It started bleeding profusely. Both men knew it wouldn't take long for the wound to heal. So they launched themselves at each other again. Slade filled with a superhuman rage and Oliver with the force of despair.

A cracking sound came from his ribs as they crashed together. Oliver knew he wouldn't last much longer at this rate. The air left his lungs in a whoosh at the force of the impact and a blinding pain blossomed in his ribcage. It made him grab his knife harder. Everything around him was a blur; his vision was shot. No doubt Slade had given him a serious concussion. He felt more than saw the man lunging again at him. He didn't evade the attack, but let himself be caught in a crushing embrace.

_Now or never…_ Oliver used his last strength to stab the knife deeply in Deathstroke's throat almost cutting right through. At the same moment he felt cold metal enter his body and leaving a trail of blazing agony in his abdomen.

"Never forget, kid, I trained you!" Slade whispered in his ear before letting him go. Oliver staggered backwards, his hand grasping the knife that had stabbed him and drawing it out of the gaping wound. Blood flowed freely from it now.

"I know… Kill … or be killed!" He gasped as he dove the knife right into Deathstroke's eye-patch with all the strength his weakened body could muster. His opponent fell to his knees and glided sideways.

Oliver turned his back to him as he felt his vision greying out. He stumbled toward the edge of the roof facing the sea where the sun had started to rise. He didn't want his ex-brother to be the last vision he had of this world. He didn't make it to the spot he wanted to. His legs gave out under him.

"Forgive me, Felicity… but there was … no … other way … to end this."

He mumbled. He felt himself fall toward the ground while the sun rose from the water. As consciousness slid away he felt arms grabbing him and turning him onto his back. Somewhere a muffled shot rang out and then everything went dark.

**If you're really nice, there might be an epilogue to this… We'll see...**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Slight change of plans… there will be more than one chapter till this ends… Have a nice read. Leave feed-back if you feel so inclined… It always feeds the Muse.

flash-back

The day had been long; one meeting with investors chasing another one, Oliver hadn't even taken time to get some lunch. When Felicity and Diggle weren't there he tended to neglect his lunch breaks. Today both had taken some personal time. Dig had joined Lyla and early in the morning Felicity had texted him that she would go to Central City to see Barry. Apparently there had been some change in his health status. Oliver had refrained from protesting, remembering the fall out of their last discussion of the subject. Seeing as there wasn't any mission planned for the Arrow Oliver had felt they all needed some downtime. He himself had promised to join his mother and his sister for dinner.

Sighing he looked at the pile of papers still waiting for his attention. It would take hours to get through those…

"Let's get started then!" he growled knowing he would need a serious workout after leafing through endless financial reports feeling already a tension headache building up.

Hours later the lines of numbers blurred before his eyes so he'd decided to take a break when he was interrupted by the buzzing of his phone.

"Oliver? Where are you? You're late!" The voice on the other end stated.

"Still in the office… I guess I simply lost notion of time…." His voice trailed off.

"Please hurry, mom invited some weird people again. Promise me you'll come…" Thea whined over the phone.

"I'll be there in ten."

"Thank God! You're finally here!" A whirlwind rushed into him and instinctively his arms closed around his sister.

"Can't be that bad, Speedy."

"You have no idea! They've been killing me with their small talk for half an hour…"

A smirk graced his lips. "Come on. Follow me." He tugged her toward the sitting room. "Let's get this behind us. Or mom will kill us…"

Thea chuckled at the thought. It had been a very long time since they had been accomplices like that. The evening passed with the occasional eye-roll between the two of them and idle chitchat.

It was way past midnight when Oliver finally managed to get to the foundry. He'd decided he'd give the salmon ladder a go before switching to the pipes for inverted push-ups.

The day had been harrowing and without the levity Felicity and Diggle brought on a regular base he'd kept the tension of the whole day bottled up inside. The regular clanking sound of the metal bar always helped him calm down and letting go. At first when he had gotten back from living in his own hell for so long the city life had been almost unbearable. Then his mother had imposed the "ex-special forces out of Kandahar" soldier on him. And what initially resembled a threat to his plans morphed into an asset. Diggle had provided assistance in countless life-threatening situations but above all he helped him put into perspective what he felt.

Felicity hadn't been part of the initial plan either. Heck, even she herself had said she'd only stay till Walter's rescue, but then she never left… He had never questioned that. She'd quickly become irreplaceable providing intel and helping evade danger under the most diverse forms. She provided new perspectives and always found other ways to keep him from giving in to the darkness that had become predominant in his life during his stay on Lian Yu. There when he'd been disgusted with what he'd become, what he'd done; Shado had saved him from his demons. After her death he'd somewhat resigned to the fact that Oliver Queen had morphed into a mere instrument to fulfil his fathers dying wish leaving behind his human part, his soul.

And then Felicity had taken up the torch. Had become his beacon in the dark. Calling him out if he so much as set a toe over the line she'd drawn for him. She'd decided he was hero material and somehow he'd felt relieved, lighter, like a weight had been taken off his shoulders. A spark of hope had been re-ignited inside of him. Perhaps he still could somewhat redeem himself.

He knew she felt attracted to him. At first he'd dismissed it as a crush or simple physical attraction. He'd always been that lucky with the opposite sex. But there was something different, something more, and something far deeper…

Something had changed in him. He saw things in a different way. All that had happened because of her. He felt he'd do everything for one Felicity Smoak. He felt like he could feel the same way for her she did for him. It really was the most powerful emotion, but he didn't want to name it… yet. It would make it real. Would put her in deeper danger than he already had. So he chose to ignore her stares, her innuendos. Truth was he'd never planned to survive his mission as The Hood. He was better off alone, if he died no one would grieve for him except perhaps his family.

Then suddenly, one day, things had become even more complicated. Diggle had called him out on it and he hadn't been able to deny the facts. He cared for his IT girl. Far deeper then he wanted to. He had become dependent, weak and it scared him. No it freaked him out. Threatened his goal. So he'd had to act. To regain control. To do so he'd resumed his former coping mechanism: Laurel, Isabel, Sara … had reassured him that he still was in control of his feelings.

He'd lost count of how many workout sequences he'd done, when suddenly the buzzing of his phone brought him out of his musings. He executed one final flawless chin up before swinging up and flipping over the bar to land gracefully on his feet bracing the fall.

Grabbing a towel to dry his sweat he went to the phone lying on the table. He'd gotten a text message:

_Time to fulfil my promise, kid. Come alone._

It ended with an address. Oliver's fist clenched while reading. He'd known from the beginning that Slade would find a way to make him pay for his actions or rather lack of actions. He emptied his water bottle before checking his gear and suiting up. There was no time to lose. He rapidly got to his bike and set off to meet his old friend.

It took him only minutes to get to the abandoned theatre at the limit of the Glades. Checking the outside for possible traps he readied his bow. Slade was a formidable opponent and he knew no mercy. Oliver remembered well the numerous hurtful training sessions…

_At least no on else would be in danger tonight. Both Diggle and Felicity were safe._

Slowly, carefully he pushed through the doors leading directly to the stage.

The flickering emergency lights on both sides of the hallway were the only light source; luckily for him during his ride on the bike his eyes had had time to adjust to the darkness surrounding him. The large space of the scene was empty. _Where was Slade?_

"Slade you've developed quite a penchant for theatre I see. Where are you hiding?" His voice resounded in the large room.

"Don't flatter yourself, kid."

A snarl came from his right accompanied by a blinding flash of light. He dove for cover while blindly firing his arrow in that direction. It took his eyes some time to adjust to the darkness again.

"Aw, kid. You missed. Thought you were an expert?"

There was a blinding flash of light leaving Oliver's eyesight dimmed so that all he could distinguish were little more than shadows. He sensed more than saw movement to his left and loud laughter erupted.

"What a sorry excuse for a hero you are…"

Slade continued to taunt him. Anger boiled in his veins as he head the words. It cost him to restrain himself to not blindly fire around him in a desperate attempt to hit his opponent. His arrows were limited, so he had to make them count.

The lightning spots flared again, instinctively he rose his arm to shield his eyes from the harsh glare. He had to stop this or he wouldn't be able to defend himself once Slade decided to attack. He knew the ex-ASIS soldier was trying to throw him off his game, to show him his weakness before making his move. How often had he fallen for that trick during his training? Even then Slade hadn't been a forgiving man, so if one thing was sure it was that there would be no mercy.

Blinking rapidly he tried to clear his vision when there was a loud crashing sound to his right, whirling towards it he took a step sideward aiming his bow in the general direction of the sound. What was the purpose behind all this?

As he moved into a shooting stance he heard a faint click under his left boot. He froze mid movement. Closing his eyes and swallowing hard he pushed down the urge to run. His mind flew back to the Island years ago when he had stepped upon that landmine. Slade had saved him then. How different the circumstances were now…

At least as long as he didn't move he would be safe. So he had time to think of a way to escape the blast.

"Hey kid? I forgot to tell you … You have exactly 20 seconds till the charges blow you back to Lian Yu. So that leaves you exactly one try to get away. The display will help you count to your final breath."

Squinting he could barely make out a small device in the distance with a blinking display on it. The numbers counted backwards.

"You of all persons should know you can't go back to a place you never left to begin with, Slade."

The bowstring emitted a creaking sound under the tension of his grip. He was sure this was another trap. Slade knew the extent of his skills; he wouldn't let him off the hook. At least not as easily…

A feeling of dread settled in his gut as the seconds drained from the screen. his mind raced to find an explanation to all of this mascaraed but couldn't.

"What is it? Are you afraid to shoot a bow now? Or do you have a problem to make a choice? With Shado it didn't bother you that much…"

"There was no choice to make and there is none now…" he growled releasing the arrow. He expected to hear the impact once it reached its mark, some sparks perhaps caused by the electric circuit but never the strangled scream that reached his ears. That voice! It couldn't be… She was away, safe…

"I told you, kid, I always keep my promises …"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This chapter has me taken muck longer to come to life. Hope it lives up to the rest. Feel free to share your thoughts… By the way having no medical training whatsoever all inaccuracies are mine...**

**As always no copyright infringement intended.**

**Present day, rooftop,**

Diggle just got on the roof in time to see his friend collapse in a heap. He sprinted across the roof firearm at the ready scanning the area for possible threats leaving Deathstroke for Lance to deal with. He knelt next to the fallen vigilante pushing his Glock in the back of his waistband. He carefully turned the younger man on his back trying not to cause any further injury.

Oliver's face was deadly pale and his head lolled limply to the side following the momentum of his body. Diggle felt for a pulse finding it alarmingly weak and thready.

At that precise moment a shot disrupted the silence making him jump.

"What the hell… " As he turned he could see Quentin Lance standing over Deathstroke's body; pistol drawn, smoke swirling from the barrel.

"What are you doing Lance?"

"Just making sure this one stays dead…" Quentin Lance quipped dryly before holstering his weapon.

Shaking his head, Diggle quickly turned his attention back to his brother in arms. He checked for apparent injuries. A large bruise stood stark on Oliver's face and his right cheek was covered in scrapes and grime. Having seen the blunt force behind Slade's blows a serious concussion was probable. . Bruises were forming on his neck, but he didn't see any serious lesions there. He briskly continued his exam until his fingers met a wet sticky substance…

"Damn… Lance, get me the first aid kit from the trunk of my car… NOW! Damn you Oliver and your need to sacrifice yourself…" He muttered between clenched teeth. He tried to staunch the bleeding with his left hand while fishing for his phone with the other. They needed help on this one if Oliver had to stand a fighting chance, but he couldn't get himself to reveal his identity, so there was only one option left… He quickly dialled a number he had hoped he would never have to.

"Waller? I need to call in a favour."

"Diggle, is that you? What makes you think I owe you one?" The voice on the other end answered dryly.

"The Arrow has helped you out on numerous occasions… He needs your help now."

"How serious?"

"Very."

"A team will get there. ETA 15 minutes. Be ready…"

Without waiting for an answer she disconnected the call. Diggle sighed. He hated having to rely on the ARGUS operative, but at the moment there was no other choice… Blood kept seeping through his fingers as he continued to put pressure on the wound. The fact that there was no reaction on Oliver's side worried him to no end.

"Come on Lance! Where are you? Fetching that kit from Moscow?" He yelled.

"I'm here… I'm here…" The man plopped on his knees right in front of him so that they both encircled Oliver's body.

"What do you need?" He asked while rummaging through the rather large it. Figures, he thought, one has to cover most of the bases as a vigilante. After all it was impossible to take a trip to the hospital every time one got injured what with half of the city's police force on your trail.

"We need sterile gauze. Lots of it. And bandages. We need to keep pressure on this wound and seal it till help gets here."

"You called 911?"

"No far better."

"Still want to protect his identity? What if he doesn't make it?" It hadn't escaped Quentin Lance that the wound they were tending was serious.

"You continue complaining? Or do you want to make yourself useful? Tend to this cut on his arm! Bandage it carefully. He'll need every drop of blood we can keep in his body."

Lance immediately set to work pondering. Some time ago he'd have given everything to know the identity of the man under the Hood. Now he didn't care any more who was hiding under it. He only was sure of one thing; the man didn't deserve to die… not after all that he had done to protect this city and its inhabitants.

In the distance he could hear the distinct noise of a helicopter approaching. Once it had come to a stationary flight over the roof three persons roped down from it rapidly. The chopper then got some altitude again circling the zone. Two of the men lost no time. They immediately and very effectively set to work on their patient pushing Diggle and Lance away. The third approached them. Under the glare of the spotlight of the helicopter Diggle saw it was a woman. As she got nearer, he recognized her.

"Lyla?" Diggle asked clearly confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Waller sent me to help dispose of the evidence and get you out of this mess…"

Within minutes Oliver was ready for transport and the helicopter swooped in to take him and the men to A.R.G.U.S.' base where he could get the medical attention he needed. Unfortunately due to the equipment and reduced space it was impossible to get everyone on board. They would have to get to HQ by their own means.

"I'll come with you." Lyla said. "So you can get into HQ and watch over …" She send an inquiring look towards Lance unsure if he was privy to the Arrow's identity.

Diggle looked torn. He didn't want to leave Felicity alone. Quentin Lance seemed to sense his dilemma.

"Know what? Deposit me at Starling General. I'll take first watch at Felicity's side. You take care of the Arrow and I do the same with our IT whiz that way we're all happy…"

Diggle nodded his assent and as soon as the helicopter was in the air they headed to the car.

**A.R.G.U.S HQ,**

The drive to Starling General had been made in silence, each of the passengers of the car following his own strain of thoughts. Before going on to HQ Dig wanted to make sure Felicity was well taken care of, so he briefly stopped by her room with Lance. She was fast asleep. Seeing that her cheeks had taken a healthier shade he nodded reassured toward Lance and left the hospital. Lyla was waiting for him in the car.

That had been hours ago. Now they were sitting in a stark room waiting for word on Oliver. Lyla had silently taken place next to Diggle her hand resting on his knee, offering comfort.

Diggle thought about the events of the last hours, tried to piece together what had happened. Of one thing he was sure… Slade had found a most effective way to get to Oliver by using Felicity. None of them had seen anything coming. He felt guilty for not having verified everything was ok once he'd gotten her text. Usually they phoned each other on a regular schedule to confirm their whereabouts and agendas, but they'd become careless, too sure to have everything under control…

Slade had found their weak spot by hitting the heart of their team… and Oliver had been alone to deal with the consequences …

Dig was anxious to see his friend, to be reassured that he would be physically and mentally ok. The man had to deal with enough demons already; he didn't need to add this to the load of guilt he constantly carried around.

A knock on the door startled him from his reverie and as he looked up he saw a doctor standing in the doorway. Lyla's hand closed around his squeezing it lightly, making his fingers close around hers.

"I assume you're with Oliver Queen?"

The question sounded more like a statement than a real question. The man's face didn't reveal anything, but then that was to be expected in his line of duty and considering the location they were in. Dig simply nodded.

"Well, your friend is quite a piece of work, but then he's always been…"

At Diggle's puzzled expression the doctor felt he needed to provide some more info.

"You heard right. It isn't the first time I've had to pick up the pieces of his recklessness… but this time… wow! Didn't think he could surprise me any more…"

"Will he be … alright?" Lyla cut off the lengthy monologue, feeling all John wanted to know was the outcome of Oliver's injuries.

"Oh! Yes, he will. He's resilient … physically. You should be more worried about the rest."

Diggle's look shot up to meet the man's gaze; an understanding passed between them.

"What do you mean?" Lyla asked confused.

"He hasn't really been helping us during the intervention. One sees that often in soldiers, veteran's when they've seen to much … There is a point … once it's reached there's no turning back. They simply give up … Well we're not there yet. If you'll follow me I'll take you to see him. We've done all we could to help him physically, not that it was easy. He's compiled quite a list of injuries… bruises, cracked ribs, concussion … and then there's the knife wound … An artery was nicked, hence the important blood loss and the risk of peritoneal infection is high due to the location of the wound. He's lucky it wasn't an inch more to the left or we wouldn't have been able to be of any help … Ah! Here we are… Don't stay for too long. He's still unconscious anyway. If you'll excuse me …"

Dazed by the doctor's never ending onslaught of words Dig took a moment standing in the doorway taking in the still form lying on the bed…


End file.
